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Show 676 DR. F. H. H. GUILLEMARD ON OVIS NIVICOLA. [June 16, that there were a few Sheep here, but that it was very difficult them except in winter. As our time was limited, our chances of obtaining them were not considered promising enough to stop. Narcheeki also, in the Bolcheresk valley, was mentioned to us a3 another locality, a fact we were ourselves able to verify, as the natives had killed a young male only a few days previous to our arrival. On reaching the neighbourhood of the magnificent volcanoes which guard the lower part of the Great Kamschatka River, I again made inquiries as to the existence of Ovis nivicola on their slopes, hut was told that there were none. 1 cannot vouch, however, for the truth of the statement, as the natives live in superstitious awe of the mountains, and have never ascended them to any height. We had thus traversed the country without obtaining a single specimen; and we should have returned empty-handed had it not been for a Russian sable hunter accompanying our expedition, who informed us Fig. 1. Head of Ovis nivicola. that he had seen and shot several on the sea-cliffs of the east coast, some fifty miles E.N.E. of Petropaulovsky. On our return voyage from Behring Island we accordingly shaped our course for this spot ; and on nearing the land we could distinctly make out small herds of the animals of which we were in search on the slopes of the cliffs, which here rose to a height of five or six hundred feet. Finding a good anchorage we at once arranged to stay, and in two days we brought to bag no less than thirteen individuals, all of which were full-grown males. The general colour of the Kamschatkan Wild Sheep is a brownish grey, and the hair of those obtained by us at the end of the month of September was very long and thick. The head and neck are more distinctly grey than the rest of the body. Forehead with an ill-marked darker patch ; upper and under lip greyish white. Anterior aspect of the limbs dark glossy brown ; a line running down posterior aspect white. Tail short, dark brown ; centre of belly and rump |